


The Wave

by sunnysideblonde



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Author is bad at tags, Canon (kind of), Father figure Tony Stark, Loki gets a redemption arc ok, Pepper mothers everyone, Pietro doesn’t die damn it, Steve Rogers is a Protective Brother (figure), Thor is literally a golden retriever, yeah the main character has powers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2020-01-23 05:52:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18543613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnysideblonde/pseuds/sunnysideblonde
Summary: A 20 year old college kid visiting her grandfather in Germany, Adelaide's trip to an art auction in Stuttgart one evening takes an unexpected turn as she is thrust into the world of magic, heroes, and villains.





	1. And So, It Begins

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is my first time posting here (first time ever writing a fic to be quite honest!) and I'm really excited to start this! Honestly, I just created a story in my head and wanted to imagine it even further, and thus, A Wave was born! I hope you all enjoy it, and please let me know what you think!
> 
> (Just a heads up to all you lovely readers out there--the first few chapters will probably be pretty short. I am planning on making this into a long story, but I needed to set up the plot first! The first couple chapters end at very strategic places, so please bear with me!)

The water on her skin felt magical. Closing her eyes, Adelaide sunk deeper into the porcelain bathtub, letting herself be taken by the warmth and the sweet smell of the bath that she had run. So far, her time spent studying abroad in Germany was amazing, and she had stayed a few extra days to visit her grandfather in Stuttgart. They had walked the city, marveled at the exquisite cars, shared coffees and stories, and exchanged so many laughs that often, Adelaide found her stomach tightening in discomfort. Tonight, however, her grandfather had truly outdone himself. He had purchased tickets to an art exhibition and auction, remembering a conversation long ago when his only granddaughter had confessed her dreams of minoring in art history. Earlier in the day, when he had revealed their plans for the evening to her, she squealed in delight and threw her arms around her grandfather. Smiling at the memory, Adelaide glanced over at the vanity, where her various cosmetics awaited their canvas, and reluctantly pulled herself from the comfort of the bath water.

An hour and a half later, she was ready. She had pulled back her long golden tresses into a side bun, letting the shorter pieces frame her heavily made up face. Her eyes, a piercing green, stood out from the smoky grey on her eyelids and the thick lashes she had painted over with mascara. She looked in the mirror and smiled, plump lips painted in red revealing a perfectly white set of freshly brushed teeth. “Adelaide?” she heard her grandfather call, “I have a surprise for you!” Hastily, she threw on a bathrobe and rushed to meet him. “There you are, liebling! I have one last surprise for your last night in Stuttgart.” Adelaide looked at the man in front of her with exasperation. “Grandfather, please, you’ve done too much.” He let out a chuckle, and casually waved a hand. “Ah. What kind of grandfather would I be if I did not spoil my only granddaughter? Please, try it on.” Giving him an eye roll, she still smiled as she took the black box back to her room.

The gown was magnificent. A shimmering silver encased her, from her shoulders to below her feet. An innocent sweetheart neckline defined the front of the dress, while the back of the dress left less to be desired. A steep scoop reached from the backs of her shoulders to the small of her back, and Adelaide felt goosebumps as she touched the skin revealed by the dress. The sleeves of her dress tapered at the wrist, with an intricate silver beading curving out, as if to touch her middle finger. She completed it with a simple set of diamond studs in her ears, a gift sent from her parents to Germany while she celebrated her 20th birthday exploring the country. Stepping back from the mirror in her bedroom, she admired the outfit. Her grandfather had truly outdone himself, no doubt with the assistance of her mother. Smirking at the thought, she opened the doors to see her grandfather look at her, his eyes glistening with tears. “Liebling, you are stunning.” She hugged him tightly, and took a step back to wipe his tears. “Grandfather, no crying! You were the one who gave me the dress in the first place.” He nodded. “Yes, I did, but I did not expect how beautiful you would look, or how much you remind me of your grandmother on this night.” Adelaide felt a tug at her heart when he mentioned her grandmother. She had never known much about her, as the woman had passed away right before she was born. What little she could pry out of her grandfather, she did. All he had told her was that her grandmother had come from far away, a magical land, and that she was taken much too soon from him. When Adelaide had told her mother, she gave the girl a sad smile and told her that the war had left him broken, the shell of a man he once was. Unhappy with her mother’s explanation, Adelaide simply went on believing her grandfather’s story, and often dreamed of the world her grandmother might have come from.

“Adelaide?” Her grandfather’s soft voice had brought her back to the present. “We really must get going, Liebling, or I’m afraid we might arrive late.” At that, Adelaide slipped on a pair of sleek black heels, grabbed her silver clutch, and followed her grandfather out the door.

The building alone was breathtaking. Situated in front of a large stone pavilion, Adelaide needed constant reminders from her grandfather to keep moving, or else she would have been admiring the scenery for hours. Beautifully clad men and women made their way up the red carpeted steps around them, the women wearing long gowns of every color, bright reds, soft blues, the occasional stark white, while most of the men had opted for the simple bowtie and black suit, excluding her grandfather. Though he dressed simply, in black pants and a large tan jacket, she knew he did not need fancy clothes to feel comfortable amongst the high society. He could probably outbid them all. Laughing to herself, she daintily picked up her gown so she wouldn’t trip, and took her grandfather’s arm as they made their way into the auction.

Adelaide had been making her way around the auction. Her grandfather had briefly excused himself to say hello to a few old friends, and she had used the free time to explore, listening to the orchestra playing all the while. Servers walked around with plates of food and drink, and she had politely stopped a young man to ask for a glass of champagne. Though she did not drink often, she felt that a special occasion warranted an exception. The thin glass of golden bubbles in her hand, Adelaide stopped at every piece of artwork, asking about it from anyone she could. They often smiled politely and asked her if she was planning on bidding, and seemed genuinely happy when she told them of her love for art. She adored the way of communication through each piece, and loved conversations interpreting the message behind it. She had stopped at an intricate marble sculpture, when a scream made her blood run cold, causing her fingers to slip from the glass she was holding. Her thoughts went instantly to her grandfather as the shatter of glass echoed in her ears, and she started scanning the room to look for him. Reaching out to a nearby man, she begged him to help her look, when he grabbed her by the arms. “You must run, child.” He told her in a grave voice. “You must save yourself. Another monster is in Germany.”


	2. The Golden Bracelet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two, here we go! More MCU characters will be introduced here, and you'll see some crossover from the movie! This is really where the start of the story is, and I'm so excited for you all to read it!

Adelaide’s attempts to find her grandfather became futile as the occupancy of the art auction started heading for the doors in a screaming panic. She felt arms touch her everywhere, hands trying to grab her, to pull her out the doors with the rest of the people, and saw looks of utter terror and total confusion on every face that streamed past hers. Eventually, she gave in to the mob, letting herself be pulled outside as she joined the rest of them in the stone pavilion outside of the building that had once seemed so beautiful. People ran everywhere, looking for friends and loved ones. The sounds of police sirens seemed distant to her, as she finally ran over to her grandfather, having seen his face in the crowds only seconds ago. “Liebling,” he breathed, looking exhausted and disheveled, but otherwise unhurt. “Are you alright?” She wrapped her arms around his neck and let out a sob. “I’m just so glad I found you safe, grandfather. I was so worried that--” A sharp voice cut the rest of her sentence off, and a blue flash sent a police car screeching across the ground to land upside down with a devastating thud. “Kneel before me.” Adelaide’s bright green eyes shot up to meet the owner of the voice. With long black hair, a horned golden helm, and a golden staff glowing bright blue, she felt fear shudder through her whole body as the man cruelly smirked at her. Suddenly, he was on all sides of the growing crowd, causing the people on the ends to slowly back up into a circle. Adelaide was pushed, stepped on, and shoved as people tried their best to get away from the man on every side. However, there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, nowhere to go but to feel the man’s cold presence around them and to be subject to his icy blue eyes. People were still screaming and searching, until the man and his clones brought their staffs harshly down to the ground, emitting a bright blue light, and angrily yelled out at them. “I said” he started cooly, “ _ KNEEL!” _  Hurriedly, the crowd started to shift into kneels, much to the man’s delight. Adelaide moved to do the same, trying to pull her grandfather down with her. “No, liebling.” He looked at her softly, the knowledge of the consequences he would endure due to his choice rang out through his sad brown eyes. “Grandfather,” she begged, “please don’t do this.” He smiled down sadly, brushing the strands of hair out of her face and kissing her sweetly on the top of her forehead, just like he did when she was little. “I did nothing the first time someone tried to rule Germany, Adelaide. I cannot do nothing again.” Her jaw dropping at the realization of his words, what they truly meant, she sobbed quietly into her hands, knowing that she couldn’t stop what was about to happen. She heard a commanding voice addressing the crowd as the people parted to let its owner pass, but she was so distraught that she did not truly pay attention to what was happening around her until she heard her own grandfather speak. “Not to men like you.” With a shocked gasp she looked at her surroundings, noticing her grandfather was speaking directly to the man, who was now only a few feet away from her. His eyes darkened as the people closest to her began looking at the older man standing up for them, protecting the integrity of Stuttgart, the integrity of the human race. A cruel smile ran up the man’s face. “There are no men like me,” he proclaimed, the grip on his glowing staff getting noticeably tighter. However, Adelaide’s grandfather stood his ground. “There are always men like you,” he retorted, his accent slightly touching the words. The cruel man grinned, mischief spreading throughout his face. “Look to your elder, people,” he started, “let him be an example.” He aimed the glowing staff at her grandfather, and for a moment, Adelaide’s heart stopped, her surroundings fading to nothing and the sounds falling from her ears. She could not explain the sudden wave of bravery that flowed through her, but in that moment she felt power and anger coursing through her entire body, filling her with a sudden madness. “No!” She screamed, and jumped to put herself between the man and her grandfather.

 

The man studied her with a wicked grin. She stood only 5’2 feet tall, and he easily towered at least a foot over her. Her dress was a sheer silver, hugging her curves and no doubt leaving every man and plenty of women ogling over her. Her long blonde hair had fallen out of place, and her face was streaked with black mascara lines, no doubt from crying. However, she had a fire in her. Her eyes, a pale green, never left his. How could she not have been intimidated? He walked closer, speaking through her. “You need protection from a little girl?” He asked her grandfather. As the man started eying Adelaide, he swallowed, and with a lump in his throat he said, “this does not concern her. She does not know what she is doing. Leave her be, and kill me in her place.” The man laughed, fear vibrating down Adelaide as he did, his white teeth glimmering and his eyes narrowing at her. “Kill her? Oh no, I could never waste death on such a beauty.” He reached a long and out and went to stroke her pale, beautiful face, and she grimaced, recoiling from his touch. “I see,” he spoke, turning all of his attention to her. “You could not possibly give in to your primal desires so easily.” With that, his hand left her face, and in a flash of green light, a gold cuff appeared, from where, Adelaide did not know. He grabbed her right wrist, ripped off the delicate beading from the right sleeve, and clicked the cuff into place. She shrieked as symbols appeared around it, encasing her entire wrist in a soft gold light, and just as suddenly faded away. He grinned and held up his left wrist, an identical cuff circling his muscular forearm. Her grandfather’s sudden outburst made her jump, and made the man’s face twist into a dark anger. “What have you done to her?” Without warning, the man slapped a cold hand across his face, sending him flying backwards into the kneeling crowd. Adelaide screamed, and tried to run towards him, but the man caught her slim wrist and pulled her back into his well built frame, ripping the other sleeve of her dress as he did. “Now, now, sweetling, he has learned his lesson. He will no longer speak to his superior with such contemptuous disrespect.” Full of uncharacteristic rage, Adelaide raised the hem of her gown and swiftly thrust her heel into her captor’s foot, earning her a look of annoyance in the process. Though it may not have hurt the man, it did startle him, and he let go of his hold on her wrist. She used that time to run through the crowd, run far away from the situation and the man who had caused it. She deliberately ran away from her grandfather, trying to draw the attention away from him. Her plan worked, as the man cooly turned to face her. “Oh, dear, I do wish you had not thought to do that.” He aimed the staff at her, the bulb turning blue, as he pointed it at her. “I truly respect your beauty. However, you are just as disrespectful as your grandfather, and what kind of ruler could I claim to be if my subjects are allowed to do as they desire?” Adelaide closed her eyes and waited for the blow, surprised when it didn’t happen. As she tenderly opened her eyes, she heard a loud clang, and saw a man with a large red, white, and blue shield jump in front of her to deflect the shot, causing the man who shot it to fall. He turned and gave her a smile. “Don’t worry, you’re going to be okay. My name is Captain America, can you tell me yours?” With the arrival of Captain America, the focus of the man was drawn off the crowd, and they used the opportunity to flee from every side. Adelaide stayed completely frozen, her hands clasped behind her back, until she saw a few individuals from the crowd tending to her grandfather, his tan jacket stained with the blood leaking from his cheek. A shallow cut, she realized, he’ll be okay. One of the men helping her grandfather (who she recognized as the man who had told her to run from the building), gave her a small nod, as if to tell her that they would take care of her injured grandfather. Breathing a small sigh of relief, she turned back to the man in front of her and said, “my name is Adelaide.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The golden cuff Loki put on himself and on Adelaide will be further explained in this story, I promise!


	3. The Quinjet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohmygoddon'thatemebecauseit'sbeenareallylongtimesinceIwroteanewchapterokthanks. I'm back! Hopefully this chapter makes up for the lack of them, but I'll let you be the judge of that!
> 
> Anyways, I wanted to point out that this story of mine may be way different than the way the MCU chooses to portray people, events, etc. This is the big story I have in my head, nothing more, and nothing less. So, if you don't like the way I portray these characters, or the events that take place (because a lot of main scenes will be altered due to the addition of Adelaide), you are 100% entitled to that opinion and I'm sorry you didn't like it. However, if you're still with me, hold on to something, because it's going to be a wild ride!
> 
> Quick note: I go back and forth between the name Adelaide and the nickname Adi. Adi is simply a nickname because Adelaide is a mouthful and it's annoying to type all the time. Pronunciations are as follows: Adelaide (add-uh-layde) Adi (add-ee)
> 
> Enjoy this chapter!

Upon hearing the girl’s name, Captain America smiled. “I’ll keep you safe Adelaide, I promise. But you have to trust me.” Adelaide nodded her head slowly and moved backwards as the Captain put a muscular arm around her slim waist and gently pushed her back further behind them. Her attention snapped back to the man with the staff as he spoke. “Ah,” he spat, “the soldier. A man out of time.” He pulled himself up with his staff and gave Captain America a cruel look. The Captain stood his ground, and retorted “I’m not the one out of time.” With a sudden movement, he flung his shield, hitting the man square in the chest and sending him flying backwards. The man grunted, and aimed his staff once again to fire at the captain, when an intercom voice made him freeze. “Loki,” the woman’s voice said, “drop the weapon and stand down.” Adelaide looked up and gasped as she saw a ship flying above them, a huge gun emerging from the bottom and aiming at the man, whose name she now knew as Loki. Thrusting his staff towards the ship, Loki sent out a blue blast, and the ship immediately moved to avoid the hit. Less than a second after that, he sent out a shot at Captain America, who had used the distraction of the ship to start charging Loki. The Captain dodged, and the blast went flying past Adelaide’s leg, and she felt a searing pain on her upper thigh. Looking down, she saw singed pieces of fabric, and blood seeping out of her right thigh. “Oh man,” she muttered, as everything went black and she started falling towards the floor.

 

Captain America, upon hearing the thud on the floor, turned around and saw Adelaide lying in a heap on the ground. “Loki, what have you done?” he snarled. He threw the shield once again, and ran towards him, punching him square in the jaw. Loki returned the hit with a smack from his staff. The two fought for a while, with Loki getting a hit using his staff, Captain America getting in a kick or a punch, until Cap threw his shield, and Loki swatted it away with the staff as if it were a bug. Cap looked up at Loki, refusing to surrender, when the two of them heard music, specifically AC/DC’s  _ Shoot to Thrill _ coming from the ship. A red and gold figure flew down from the sky, shooting a golden beam at Loki and knocking him off of his feet. Landing, the figure made itself out to be a man in a suit, and looked directly at Loki, who had gotten up from the blast and sat on the steps. Bullets, missiles, and other weapons appeared from the suit as the man held a palm up with a glowing circle directly in the middle of it. “Make a move, reindeer games.” the man challenged. Loki held his hands out in front of him, in obvious surrender, and his golden helm and armor glowed green as they slowly turned into a green and black robe and pants. The suit’s weapons went back inside, and the man lowered his palm. “Good move.” Captain America, now beside the man, looked to his right and acknowledged the man. “Mr. Stark,” he said. Stark gave him a quick nod of the head. “Captain.”

 

The ship lowered to the ground as Cap ran back to check on Adelaide. She was alive, but bleeding badly, and still out cold from the loss of blood. He quickly scooped her into his arms, and headed back to where Stark was watching Loki. “What happened to the girl?” Stark asked. Cap shot a spiteful glance towards Loki. “Ask him, he’s the one who did this.” He showed Tony her wrist, the golden cuff matching the one on Loki’s left. Tony looked over at the girl in Cap’s arms, and felt a rush of anger when he did. Her dress was ripped, the sleeves frayed, and the beading on the right completely gone, no doubt ripped off to make room for the band. Her face was streaked with mascara, and her hair had completely fallen out of her bun, messy and framing her heart shaped face. The gash on her right upper thigh was hard to miss, bloody, burned, and just inches from her hip. She couldn’t be older than 25, he thought, and took a step towards Loki. Furious, he slapped a metal hand harshly across his face. “You’re going to pay for what you did to this girl,” he spit at a smirking Loki. “Tony! Steve!” Natasha was running across the plaza towards them, a pair of thick handcuffs bouncing on her waist. She had parked the plane, and had skillfully navigated the damage caused by Cap and Loki’s fight. “What happened to…” her voice trailed off as she saw the girl in Cap’s arms. Her face paled, and she glared at Loki. “We need to get her on the quinjet, now!” 

 

After Adi had been loaded onto the quinjet, Cap and Tony strapped Loki into a seat with a glare. “You,” Tony spit at Loki, “you don’t move. You don’t get to look at that girl. You so much as breathe in her direction, and I’ll knock the daylight out of you.” Loki simply smirked at Tony, and started fiddling with the cuff on his wrist. “Ah, but you wouldn’t want to mess with Asgardian magic, would you? Simply put, you don’t know the kind of effect meddling with my life could have on her.” Cap looked over at Tony. “He’s got a point, Stark. We need to wait until we can get these looked at by an expert.” “Stark, Rogers, over here.” Natasha called the boys over to where Adelaide was laying on the ground, a first aid kit next to her. “Her thigh is pretty badly burned. I gave her morphine for the pain, but I’m gonna need to cut her out of this dress to fully dress her wound. Your job is to make sure” Nat gestured over to Loki, “that creep doesn’t catch any glimpses of this poor girl.” With the boys off to block Loki’s view of Adi, Nat got to work on cutting her out of her now ruined silver gown, feeling a pang of guilt in doing so. She could only imagine how excited the girl in her arms must have been to get all dolled up for a night out, only to end in pain and bloodshed. She gently eased her out of the gown, wiped her face with a makeup removing wipe, and brushed out the tangles from her long blonde hair, resulting in loose curls. Nat lifted her small body up, pulled an oversized navy sweater over her torso, and shimmied her legs into a pair of tight white shorts. Easing her back down onto a cot, the ship hit a patch of turbulence, and Natasha swore under her breath. “Shit. Steve, can you come over here?” A second later, the super soldier appeared. “What do you need, Romanoff?” Natasha gestured to Adelaide laying on the cot. “The ship’s turbulence is causing her to bounce around on the cot. I can’t keep her still.” Steve scooped her up into his arms with ease. “I can hold her, let her stay still and get the rest she needs.” Natasha flashed him a quick smile. “Thanks, Steve.” He smiled back, and made his way over to the bench to sit down. He adjusted Adelaide so she was sitting on his lap, curled up with her head laying on his chest. He smiled down at her as she snored lightly, and finally got an opportunity to get a good look at her. She was breathtakingly beautiful, with small strands of hair framing her pale face. Her long, dark lashes curved upwards, and he remembered from earlier that she had bright green eyes. All of the sudden, she stirred, and opened up the eyes that he had just recently been fixated on. “What happened?” Adelaide became very conscious of the fact that she was sitting on a very muscular lap, and moved to get up. “Woah, woah,” Steve said. “Don’t try and get up.” Her cheeks flushed as he gently lifted her off of his lap and eased her down on the bench next to him. Her hand went to her thigh, and she swiftly pulled it away as she felt a stab of pain. Suddenly everything that had happened that night came running back to her. “Oh my god.” She muttered. Steve put an arm around her. “It’ll be okay, Adelaide. Your grandfather is safe, and we’ll make sure he stays that way.” She gave him an unsure smile. “Thank you, uh..” “Steve.” “Thank you, Steve.” She gave him a squeeze on the arm. “So this is,” she paused for a minute, trying to think of the right word to encompass the entire night. “Normal?” Steve laughed, and after a pause she joined in, her laugh soft and gentle. “Trust me hon, normal for us is a lot crazier than this.” A voice joined in, and Adelaide looked around for the owner of the voice. A beautiful redhead stepped out of the shadows, dressed in a black catsuit and tall black boots. “You gave us a pretty big scare there with that leg of yours. I’m Natasha, but you can call me Nat.” Adelaide looked down at her right leg, and saw that it was covered in gauze. “You patched it up?” She asked. Natasha nodded. Adelaide delicately brushed her fingers over the wound. “Your work is beautiful, Nat.” Natasha beamed with pride. “How do you know?” Adelaide continued running her fingers over the dressings as she spoke.”I’m a nursing major...or I was. I’m not exactly sure what’s going to happen now.” Natasha handed her a cup of tea, from where Adelaide didn’t know. She moved her finger around the rim of the glass absentmindedly, and started talking to Steve and Natasha about her life and her time in Germany. However, both Steve and Natasha looked at each other with concern in their eyes as they noticed the tea swirling around the cup, despite Adi’s fingers not even being near the liquid. Loki, on the far side of the quinjet, noticed it too, and an evil glimmer lit up his eyes. “Oh,” he thought. “This is going to be very interesting.”


	4. And Suddenly, He Appeared

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter, who dis?
> 
> (I'm so sorry for that joke I'll see myself out.)
> 
> You guys. I thought I was done with this story. I have a nasty habit of dropping half developed ideas, and I thought this story would be no exception. But the inspiration kept poking at me, and finally I got off my lazy butt and threw some words down! 
> 
> This is the first chapter where our girl makes a very important discovery about herself, and potentially (ok definitely) invokes the name of this story. I hope you all love it!

It had been about an hour (according to Adi’s best approximation) of pleasant conversation with Steve and Nat (with Tony freaking Stark interjecting his own witty comments) when the thunder started. Looking across the Quinjet, Steve noticed the change in the brooding Loki almost instantly. “What’s the matter?” Steve taunted, “afraid of a little thunder?”. Loki sneered at him. “I’m not overly fond of what follows.” All of the sudden, the Quinjet jumped with a loud boom, causing Adi to let out a little squeak and the rest of the passengers to make a grab for their weapons. Tony slammed the button to open the back door, and all of the sudden, the most beautiful man Adi had ever seen stepped into the plane. He was tall, from the looks of it, at least six feet tall, with golden hair streaming down to his shoulders. His muscles ripped underneath his clothing, which was unlike anything Adi was familiar with, except maybe for Loki. The man made a grab for Loki, ripping him out of his seat and heading for the back of the Quinjet. He took a step forward, and suddenly, they were both gone. 

“What the hell just happened?” Adi thought. She looked around at her fellow passengers, trying to gage their reactions to justify her own. Steve looked absolutely dumbfounded, which didn’t surprise her. Tony snorted at Steve’s expression, but Adi noticed a similar kind of shock reflected in his own eyes. Natasha, spinning in the pilot’s seat to face the group of them, quickly snatched a handgun out of a thigh holster and flipped the safety off. Though she knew Nat had the ability to fight probably anyone on the ship, it comforted Adi, knowing that not only was the woman kind to her, but that there was a very real probability to become good friends later down the line. 

Tony’s voice brought her back from her thoughts. “Well, as fun as it is to see Cap looking like a fish,” (at which Steve closed his mouth quickly), “daddy’s gotta fix this situation.” Tony threw on his helmet (which, truth be told, Adelaide found to be a little intimidating) and flew out the back of the Quinjet, leaving a confused, annoyed, and slightly amused trio in his leave. “Does he do that often?” Adi asked Steve, looking up at the tall man who had protectively thrown an arm around her shoulder in the midst of all the chaos. Steve simply groaned, obviously annoyed at Tony’s impulsive behavior, and Adi stifled a chuckle. Glancing over at Natasha, she thought she could see a little glimmer of humor in her eyes, but the woman’s face stayed an impassive mask. “And,” Adelaide started, “did he just call himself daddy?” Natasha actually cracked a grin at that one, and Steve’s eyes rolled so far back into his head that, were it not medically impossible (always the nurse), Adi thought he might have seen his brain. Reaching a slim arm out to his impossibly muscular one, she gave him a little squeeze. “Hey, you alright?” He looked down at her and smiled. “I’ve seen stranger things.”

Before she could ask him what he meant, she felt a hum coming from the cuff Loki had placed on her right wrist. Oh yeah, the cuff. She had forgotten about that. Looking down at the intricately carved piece of metal adorning her wrist, she swore she could see it moving, almost vibrating, coming to life. Adi opened her mouth, about to let Steve and Natasha know that, yes, the cuff was moving, and no she wasn’t crazy, but before she could get the words out, she was yanked from her seat on the Quinjet, and was pulled, cuffed wrist first, out the still open doors.

This had to be a nightmare.

This is a nightmare, Adi was sure of it. 

Falling. That was the only thing her brain could register. Adi was falling, being pulled down by her wrist towards the rapidly approaching and definitely uninviting cold hard ground. She saw figures, becoming more and more clear the closer she got, standing on some sort of cliff. Though she couldn’t see their faces, it was easy to tell who it was, especially due to the bright green and red of their clothes. Loki and that other man, the blonde one. She closed her eyes then, pinching herself, shaking her head, screaming, anything that could wake her up from this nightmare and put her back in her bed in Stuttgart, talking to her grandfather about the nice night they had at the art auction. She didn’t want this, this world of monsters, this untimely end she was sure she would reach. 

But, Adi would not be afraid. She opened her eyes, what she was sure would be the last time, and took in the scenery. She was looking down at a forest, and it was breathtaking. A cruel joke, that the last thing she saw would be so beautiful and yet, would be the cause of what she was sure would be her untimely demise. She stayed like that, falling, eyes open, watching the world come to greet her, and took a deep breath, bracing herself and tensing her muscles for the impact she knew would come. And yet, it didn’t. She looked around, really looked, and saw green. A soft green light, to be more exact. Quite similar, she thought, to the one she remembered Loki using in Stuttgart, just a few hours ago. “Cruel joke,” Adi thought to herself, as she was slowly lowered closer and closer towards the cliff that she had seen earlier. “This jerk was about to kill me earlier, and now he’s saving my life?” Despite herself, she let out a chuckle, albeit sharp and cold. “This is definitely the weirdest night of my life”. 

Realizing she was only a few feet up from the ground, she looked at a very smug Loki, who gave her a smirk in return. With a simple flick of his wrist, the green light had disappeared, and Adi flopped onto the ground, landing straight on her bottom with a slight “oof”. Making direct eye contact with Loki, he grinned. “You’re welcome.” Adi quickly shuffled to get up, rubbing her back with an angry glare at Loki. “You absolute dingus!” She yelled, “what the hell is your problem?” She marched over to him, painfully aware that he towered over her, and starting smacking his chest, getting words out in between each (admittedly futile) hit. “You!” Hit. “Can’t!” Hit. “Just!” Hit. “Do!” Hit. “That!” Unfortunately, her attack seemed to only amuse the man, as he barely registered the fact that she was hitting him. “I’m afraid you’re missing the show, my dear.” He said, gesturing down to where she saw Steve (when did he get down there?), a suited up Tony, and the man from before having it out with each other. 

Boys.

“Hey!” She yelled down at them, trying to get them to stop, trying to get their attention, anything to let them know that she was currently stuck on top of a cliff with tall, dark, and creepy, who seemed all too eager to be there with her. Unfortunately, she was too far away, or they were too engrossed in the fighting, and couldn’t hear her screaming at them over the sound of metal hitting metal. Adi took a breath, channeling strength and calm through her veins as she opened her mouth once more, thrust her hands out, and yelled.

“THAT’S ENOUGH!”

As she yelled, an invisible force pushed out of her, stemming from her fingers, her toes, every single part of her body. She looked down at herself, her hands seeming to come in contact with water? Was it raining? Adi had to do a double take to realize what was fully happening, and when she did, she felt faint. A giant wave of water was rushing forth from her hands, already reaching down to where the three (now soaking wet) men looked up at her in confusion. Adi pulled her hands back quickly, stopping the wave erupting from her hands instantly. “Well,” she thought, taking a staggering breath, her hand coming up to her chest, “this is new.” A second later, she blacked out.


	5. What Does This Mean?

_ Sheesh _ , Adi thought, rubbing her temples with her fingers,  _ I’ve got to stop passing out _ . She sat up, taking in her surroundings. She was sitting on a cot, still wearing the sweater and the shorts that Nat had loaned her, and unfortunately, still had the damned cuff sitting on her wrist. She was in a large, circular room, with a smaller room made of glass in the middle, and in the glass room stood a very smug Loki.

 

Her face flamed with anger. “You absolute...asshole!” She shouted, moving to get up from the cot. Strong arms gently pushed her back down to sit on the cot once more. Steve stood above her, a protective look in his dark blue eyes. “He’ll get what he deserves. In the meantime, you need to stay relaxed. You’ve been through quite an ordeal.”

 

Adi took a deep breath in, and exhaled through her nose. Steve was right. Plus, she was not about to pass out a third time. It was then that she felt the seven pairs of eyes staring at her. ‘So,” she spoke, “I’ve got some questions.”

 

Tony chuckled. “Get in line, blondie. I want to know how you shot enough water for the world’s largest waterslide  _ out of your hands _ .”

 

“Yeah,” Adelaide sighed, “me too.”

 

“Dr. Banner,” a man wearing all black and an eye patch spoke. “Can you run some tests, see if you can figure out what caused miss…”

 

“Smithson.” Adelaide supplied.

 

He continued. “See if you can figure out what caused miss Smithson to be able to do that?”

 

The nervous looking man in the glasses nodded. “Sure thing. I can take her up to my lab, as long as she consents.” Adi nodded. “The only problem,” Dr. Banner continued, “is that cuff on her wrist. From what I’ve heard, if she gets too far away from Loki, it’ll pull her back.”

 

The gorgeous blonde man that Adi had recognized from earlier stepped forward. “That cuff uses dark magic.” He supplied. “I do believe I will be able to fix it, and hopefully apologize for Loki’s behavior.” He walked closer to Adi, who had forgotten how to breathe, and spoke again, directly to her this time. “I am Thor Odinson of Asgard. An absolute pleasure to meet you, my lady.” He reached out, taking her right hand in his much larger one, and placed a delicate kiss on the top.

 

At this point, Adi was convinced that her insides were completely melted. Speaking a beat too late, she turned to him. “You said you might be able to get this thing off of me?”

 

Thor nodded. “We have a protection charm, in Asgard. Though I am unable to perform magic like Loki, the protection charm is sacred, and the magic of Asgard, though it is dark, should still conform to the charm.”

 

Adelaide quirked her head. “What’s a protection charm?”

 

He met her eyes, his beautiful blue staring deep into her pale green. “It means that I will vow to protect you, for as long as I shall live. I shall give my life for yours, keep you safe, and give you the protection of Asgard should you need it.”

 

Adi swallowed, blinking hard. Before her brain could even string together a somewhat cohesive sentence, Tony snorted. “Is that all? Are you sure there’s not an ‘I do’ somewhere in that?” Adi’s mouth actually dropped at that, and Natasha simply rolled her eyes and elbowed Tony in the ribs. 

 

“Ow,” he said, a shit eating grin spreading across his face. “All I’m saying is that—”

 

He was cut off by everyone in the room, including Loki, glaring at him. “Tough crowd,” he muttered. “I’m gonna go find some blueberries.”

 

**************************

 

After Tony had left the room, the man with the eyepatch and the woman in the jumpsuit quickly followed suit. Natasha and Steve had shared a glance, and grabbing Dr. Banner, they did the same. Now, it was just Adi and Thor (and Loki in the glass room), and she found her heart beating like crazy.

 

“Lady Adelaide, I am going to do the protection charm now, if that is alright with you.” Thor looked at her, compassion taking over his face. She nodded. “Will it hurt? Is there anything I need to do?”

 

Thor smiled at her. Kneeling down in front of her knees and the cot, he spoke. “No, this shouldn’t hurt. It may feel a little strange, but that is to be expected for a Midgardian. All I require is your full name for the charm to work properly.”

 

Adi smiled at him. “My name is Adelaide Marie Smithson.”

 

With that, he grasped her right hand in both his hands and began. “I, Thor, son of Odin, firstborn to the Allfather and rightful heir to Asgard, take Adelaide Marie Smithson under my protection. I shall protect her to the best of my abilities, for as long as I shall live. My sword shall belong to her, as will my life. I offer Asgard and all of her protections should she need it, and on my name, I swear this to be true.”

 

Shocked at the vows that the godly man in front of her had just swore, Adelaide didn’t even realize that the cuff had fallen off of her wrist and hit the floor, doing the same to the one sitting on Loki’s wrist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sexual tension so think, you could barely cut it with a knife.
> 
>  
> 
> (Also, those sound like some pretty serious vows.......maybe Tony had a point....)

**Author's Note:**

> Liebling = a term of endearment in German


End file.
